Saturday, January 05, 2013

For 35 years, I recorded in my hymnals every date we sang a hymn. Some were sung many times; this one, "O One with God the Father," I never sang; Mr. How and Mr. Harwood, forgive me. I like the text:

To gloomy haunts of darkness, your rays are streaming down;
The shadows flee before you, the world's true light has come.

In Advent, Christmas and through Epiphany, themes of darkness and light play time and time again: "Darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will rise upon you and his glory will appear over you." "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined." "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was light to all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."

The text that William W. How penned captures accurately both our darkness and God's light:

Yet, Lord, we see but dimly; O heav'nly Light, arise;
Dispel these mists that shroud us and hide you from our eyes.

O God, creator of light, O Jesus, light of the world, O Spirit, bringer of light, our sight is dim, our hearts are veiled. Lives are lived in shadows and we fear the darkness of death. Rend the clouds, tear apart the veils of sin that darken us, flood us with your Light and let us bask in your glory. Amen.

Craig RichterSt. Paul, Minn. Master of Divinity , 1976

“O One with God the Father,” LBW 77

O One with God the Father,
In majesty and might,
The Brightness of His glory,
Eternal Light of Light,
O'er this our home of darkness
Thy rays are streaming now;
The shadows flee before Thee,
The world's true Light art Thou.

Yet, Lord, we but darkly,
O heavenly Light, arise,
Dispel these mists that shroud us,
And hide Thee from our eyes.
We long to track the footprints
That Thou Thyself hast trod;
We long to see the pathway
That leads to Thee our God.

O Jesus, shine around us,
With radiance of Thy grace;
O Jesus, turn upon us
The brightness of Thy face.
We need no star to guide us,
As on our way we press,
If Thou Thy light vouchsafest,
O Sun of Righteousness.

This God Pause daily devotion is brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.